My Dear Dominick
by Joraline
Summary: This is a loose sequel to My Dear F'Saem, but I mean very LOOSE! Enjoy. R&R, please?
1. The Plot Thickens...

((Okay ppls!! This is it, I think. I didn't really get much feedback from other ppls from the first, but hopefully I will get more from this one. You really don't have to read the first one-I'll tell you what happened. There's this lady who is pregnant with Sirrus's child and she follows the stranger to Myst and Riven. She is captured on Riven and her journal- to her unborn son F'Saem- ends when she sees Gehn approaching with a gun. But. well read on!!))  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Gehn pointed the gun at the stranger's head and grabbed the book she was writing on. He checked over it once and tossed it into the stove. She cried out, but didn't dare move. He kept the gun at her, but he had no intention of shooting her. She carried D'Ni in her body. Even if it was tainted by Atrus, she did, by scanning her journal, obviously dislike him. He opened the gate to the prison and forced her out. He looked around and found an empty closet that the stranger could be kept in. He shoved her in and locked the door. There were no muffled cries, and no pounding of feet or fists on the door. Satisfied, Gehn sat down to wait. The one he had been waiting for was coming for him.  
  
The stranger in the closet, J'Solten, shifted her weight around uncomfortably. She could feel the baby moving but she willed him to stay where he was until she could get some real help. She knew better than to cry out when she heard voices in the room, but an hour later, the floor shook and the door broke and she fell out. A book hit her on the head, but she lied there, too weak to move much. The book lay open beside her and she heard a voice cry out for help. She looked at the book and saw Gehn's face staring back at her. She almost laughed out loud. It was a prison book. Sirrus had warned her about them, and he also told her how to get someone out without being caught in yourself. When another earthquake shook the house, she felt an overwhelming urge to help this man. She realized then that he hadn't wanted to kill her in the first place. He wanted her son. Well, he was the only person that could help her. She took an ink quill from the desk and wrote in one word on the page. Instantly, Gehn appeared beside her. The ground shook once more and he fell on top of her. She pulled out the linking book back to her world and pushed his hand on it.  
  
Gehn opened his eyes after the link and waited for the girl. She appeared a few seconds later with an expression of pain on her face. She dropped to her knees and began to sob. Gehn stared at her in bewilderment and then it dawned on him. He quickly carried her to the village to get help.  
  
The child stared up at his mother, demanding loudly to be fed. But she was still unconscious. Labor had taken its toll on F'Saem's mother, but she was strong. Stronger than she looked. Gehn took the boy from his mother's limp arms and awkwardly fed him the bottle the midwife, Granu, had given him. The boy seemed to know more than Gehn did; however, for he found the bottle and began to drink. The baby didn't look anything like his mother, Gehn noticed. He seemed to favor his father. Gehn was not used to holding the baby and he set F'Saem down to watch his mother. She had carried D'ni blood, but the time would come when he would kill her. She was useless when it came to anything but caring for the baby, and now it seemed that she wouldn't be able to do that. Gehn looked once more at the baby and picked him back up.  
  
"Your mother named you F'Saem. But that does not hold for you. It is not a strong name. It holds no character. Dominick. That will be your name forever and ever. It is no D'ni name; true, but you are only a quarter D'ni. You do not deserve to carry a D'ni name. My dear Dominick. You are mine to teach."  
  
"His name is F'Saem, Gehn, and he will not be D'ni. Only his father was D'ni," J'Solten argued weakly from the bed. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and grabbed her Myst linking book on her bedstand. She clutched it tightly as if it were a security blanket.  
  
"He is not D'ni!" she screamed violently. "And you will never make him D'ni. He will not betray me like your son and grandson did, Gehn!" With those last words, J'Solten fell silent and muttered to herself. "He is not D'ni. He is not D'ni."  
  
"Stupid girl," Gehn mumbled under his breath. "She will drive herself crazy with all of that talk. You will be D'ni, Dominick. I promise." Gehn raised the boy over his head and walked out of the house. 


	2. As You Read On...

Chapter Two  
  
Twenty years later  
  
Dominick stood on the plateau above his village with a usual scowl on his face. He knew every person in the village, though none truly knew him. He watched them, day after day walk around gathering fruits and meats to put in their baskets to take home. He watched them squabble over the price of a fruit and sometimes, on a clear day, he could even hear them talk about the baker's daughter. The people saw him; however, rarely and not for very long. He was merely a silhouette on the horizon. And he was the son of their former deity. When the day got hot, he wandered down the low plateau and mingled among the people. He did this only a few times, and he enjoyed the space people gave him. They only knew him as very aloof and mysterious. Which is what attracted all of the women of the village to him. Though they couldn't get too close. He bought his mother a Jarbon fruit and his grandfather a Shade Fruit. All the money he had left went to the dancers and musicians on the street. The long hike back up the rise was no effort for him, though it used to tire him. He had grown taller in the last few years and he had filled out quite quickly. He had his mother's wavy dark hair, but she always said that he had his father's eyes. And everytime she did, she would get a distant look in her eyes and turn away. He spied his house in the distance and walked up to it. He opened the door to find the same sight that greeted him each time. His mother was reading a book and his grandfather was pacing the floor muttering to himself.  
  
"Ah F'Saem, you're home. I see you got some fruit for us. Thank you son," his mother said and returned to her reading. In all the years that he had been alive, she had never turned the page. Not once. And she said that to him everytime. He shook his head and looked away. She always called him F'Saem even after he told her that he would be going by the name his grandfather gave him. Dominick stood in front of his grandfather and pressed the fruit into his hand. Gehn stopped and looked at it before shoving it into his mouth and continuing to pace the floor. He kissed his mother on the cheek and set the fruit in her lap. Maybe she would eat it. Maybe not. He retired to his room and lied down on his bed. He stared at the ceiling and wondered where his life was going. His grandfather, or great-grandfather, was raving mad, and his mother never put down her book. What was the book, anyway? Why was she so interested in it? He decided that it was time to find out why everything had gone wrong. And Dominick had a hunch that it was in the book. When he returned to the living room, his mother had gone to sleep, the fruit still in her lap. His grandfather was now pacing in the kitchen, knocking over bottles and pans. Dominick sighed and carefully took the book from his mother's hands. She stirred, but did not wake up. What he saw in the book; however, took away his fear. There was a screen in the book that showed a beautiful island world. He could read some of the words in the book and they all described the world. His grandfather had taught him D'Ni before he.crashed. Dominick fingered the words and moved to the screen. Something was drawing his hand to the book.  
  
Dominick opened his eyes and stared at a vast library. There was no door, but there was a fireplace-thing that was open. Dominick crawled into it and saw another book, quite like the first. Wishing there was someone to explain all this to him, he put his hand on the screen again.  
  
He was in some sort of cave, but there was no way out. Rocks blocked off all of the exits and there was a lonely looking desk in the middle of the floor. Dominick could see all sorts of papers and books like the two he had just come from. But there was one that caught his eye. It looked like it had people in it and he had to hope that they would know something. Praying, he put his hand on the screen.  
  
Catherine surveyed the dusty region and felt someone behind her. Thinking it was Atrus, she didn't turn around. But nothing happened. Atrus would have said something by now. Catherine held her breath and turned around. What she saw; however, caught her breath. It was Sirrus! She couldn't step back, but she leaned against the railing and averted her eyes.  
  
"Sirrus, what are you doing here?" she breathed. He looked at her in confusion and then smiled. It looked as if he had never smiled before.  
  
"My name is not Sirrus. Sirrus was my father. My name is Dominick," he told her and Catherine relaxed. Now that her fear was replaced by curiosity, she could see the differences. Dominick had wavy hair and was quite a bit taller than Sirrus ever was.  
  
"How did you find your way here?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. I have come a long way and I am very confused. There were strange books that showed worlds and strange worlds that held books. Where am I? And who are you?" he asked slowly. Catherine smiled and led him into Atrus's study to introduce Dominick to his grandfather and aunt.  
  
Atrus studied the boy carefully. There were similarities in the boy to his father, but they didn't seem to extend to personality. Dominick seemed to resemble Atrus in that aspect. And this is what was puzzling to Atrus. Was the abuse of power something that is passed on down families, like hair or eye color? It seemed to skip a generation like looks generally tend to do. But that posed a more difficult question. Would his daughter be corrupted as well? As Atrus explained everything to the boy, Dominick started to reveal things about his past. How his mother had told him a story of Atrus and how he destroyed their world. And about how she freed Gehn and Dominick had somehow escaped his madness, quite like Atrus did. But, for Atrus, the hardest thing to hear about Dominick's story was that the boy didn't have the slightest idea that he could never return. And Atrus, fearing a wrath that might rival Dominick's father, refused to tell him. But soon the time came when Dominick started to ask about his home. About what had happened. And how he could get back. So Atrus decided that the time was right for Dominick to realize the truth and try to get on with his life.  
  
"Dominick, I have taught you many things about my way and the books, the worlds that I can link to. But there was one story I omitted, fearing that you would not understand. But I think that you are ready to hear his now, and hear why your mother sought me out," Atrus began.  
  
"But, she already told me this." Dominick interrupted.  
  
"No, she didn't. This is the true story. I found the journals of my sons. I want you to read your father's." He handed Dominick the leather bound journal. 


	3. Sirrus's Diary...

***Sirrus's journal***  
  
The world of Imperatia  
  
Mid-Day - 4th Day of Test  
  
This world offers many natural resources to a wandering traveler like myself and my brother. There is gold and copper hidden inside the mountains. I must get some of these inhabitants working on a mine. And jewels are abundant in this hard ground. Oh to own them all. But no matter, I am King here, not Achenar. ME! And certainly not my wretched father who knows nothing of power and riches. As I walked through the crowds of ignorant people, I saw a girl who wasn't bowing properly. She looked as if she was in pain. I had one of my guards lead her to my castle. She would be the only person to see me on this world. Aside from my guards, of course. I could tell my father didn't like the people bowing to me, but I think he was comforted in the fact that I "helped" the girl. He is gone now, leaving me to my test again. Achenar has gone back to his test world. I cannot believe that Father gave us these worlds simply to test us with. I am insulted. But only a few more days left and then I will prove to my father that I can have my own world. Just a few more days.  
  
Morning - 5th Day of Test  
  
The girl that was sick really wasn't sick. The wretched child only wanted to see my riches. Not that I blame her. But she must be punished. Although I enjoy playing a little game with her. She believes that we are destined to b together! How completely juvenile. She is a beauty, that is true, but she comes from a poor family. Perhaps I can convince her to be a servant for me. She seems like she would do anything for me.  
  
Mid-Day  
  
It is true. J'Solten, the girl, would do everything for me. Her family's house sits on top of a gem smorgasbord. Now they will all move elsewhere and in order to get the money to do so, they will all work in the mine that I will plan there! It is too easy! But now I fear that she is losing faith in me. There is only one more thing I would need to do besides marry her that will convince her to do my bidding. Oh the work I do to be rich!  
  
Morning- Last Day of Test  
  
My father came again this morning and was horrified at my mining. What was worse was that the J'Solten decided to show up. And she told my father that we were going to be married. When he saw how much she fawned over me, he lost it. He went crazy and linked out before I could explain. He doesn't understand. This world would be useless without me. And I do not want my father to take it away from me. If I can't have it, no one will. These are MY jewels. Not my father's, not my brother's. MINE! They will NEVER take them away from me! NEVER! I want this world to always remember the one who made them rich. The one who helped them succeed. Me.  
  
The Island of Myst  
  
I laugh now as my father's anguished face comes back to me. After telling the girl that my father had sent this book into the sea, I left. I think that she thought that I was corrupted by my father. Perhaps I almost was. When I linked back, I felt a rush of panic. I had not burned the Linking book back to Myst. But I knew what I had to do. I called my father to the dock and cast the book into the sea. I watched his eyes followed the arched path of the book and how it fell when it splashed into the water. The book would not be destroyed, but it would never be found. My father thought it was the end of that age. But I keep the linking book hidden in the library of Myst. Hidden in plain view where my father could never hope to find it. Perhaps I will go back. But not today.  
  
Dominick's Story Dominick closed the journal and let it fall to the floor. Atrus stared at him; waiting for a word. Instead, Dominick went outside and looked down at all the people. He had spent only a few weeks here. He knew every person in the village, though none truly knew him. He watched them, day after day, gathering fruits and meats to put in their baskets. This place felt like home to him now. And he never thought of going back. 


End file.
